Water-softening apparatus.



W. MCA. BRUCE. WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS.

AYPIIOTON FILED AUG. 21, 1908.

Patented Feb. 1.6, 1909.

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W. MCA. BRUCE. WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS. APPLICATION ULEB AUG. 21, 190s.

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W. MCA. BRUCE. WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.21,1908.

Patented Feb, 16, 1909.

f, @am O6@ W. MCA. BRUCE. WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 21, 1908.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

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APPLOATION FILED AUG.21,190B.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

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Illu "im" UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

i WILLIAM MCAFEE BRUCE, OF CIIICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO KENNICOTT WATER- SOFTlCNlCPt COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WATE It-SOFTEN ING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Application led August 21, 1908. Serial No. 449,642.

`. Cook vand State otl Illinois, have invented a new and uset'ul lmprmmncnt in ratertv'ot'tening Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates, particularly, to improvements in the mechanism commonly employed in industrial water-puriying apparatus, and surmounling the precipitating or settling tank, for automatically proportioning tothe supply of water to be treated the chemical used for treating it by mixture therewith in its course to the tank.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the apparatus containing my improvements sui-mounting a settling tank, shown broken; Fig. 2 is a.

plan View of the same AF ig. 3 is areenlarged section through a part of the apparatus on line 3, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a Weir-detail; Fig. 5 is a section on line 5, Fig. 4; Fig. G is an enlarged broken section on line G, Fig. 3, showing a taperingstopper detail; Fig. 7 is an enlarged broken section 'on liner?, Fig. 2, showing a supplemental-float device tor the settling tank and its connection with the shut-ott valve inthe hard-water supply-pipe, and Fig. 8 is a broken enlarged section on line 8, Fig. 1,

.showing the preferred arrangementtor mixing the chemical solution and hard water as they flow from their discharging spouts.

The precipitating tank 9 one ofknowu construction containing a downwardly flaring downtake-conduit 10 and strainer 11 and provided with an overfiow at 12 from which to take the softened .water for use; and I-beams 13 are shown extending across the ,'top of the tank to support the mechanism for proportioning to the hard water to be treated the chemical or chemicalsfor treatigig it--usuall ,Y linie, soda-ash, or copperas in solution, or two or all of these chemicals. The hard water is Supplied through a vertical pipe 14 containing a balanced shut-oil" valve 15, oi ordinary or any suitable construction. This pipe discharges into a water-box 16 containing in its bottom a relatively large outlet-opening 17 and a smaller outlet-opening 1S (Fig. 2) and seating over an oversluit@watcrwheel 1t) on a shaft Q0 journaled in bearings on the opposite sides ot' the wheel-casing 21 imposed on the rails lil to surmount the settling-tank, as is also a solution-holder 22 containing the usual stirrer 23 having its upright shaft 24 geared' to the waterWheel-shaft to cause the wheel, by rotation, to drive the stirrer in the solution to maintain the charge thereof of uniform strength.

A lime-slaking box 25 is supported u on the open top of the holder 22 and is suitably braced in its position, as represented; and it contains a discharge-opening 26 (Fig. 6) in its bottom` closed by a tapering plug-Valve Q7 on a pivotal stem 28 connected with a lever 2S) having a hi'bndle 30 and fulcrumed onthc box 25. Valved branch-pipes 31 and 32 lead from the Water-pipe 14 respectively to the holder 22 and lime-slaker 25 to 'supply them with the necessary Water for their .several purposes.

With the exception of the box 16 and its cooperative relation to parts hereinafter retei-red to, the parts thus far described need involve no features of novelty.

At 33 isrepresented a tank or box (which, for reasons hereinafter explained, I call the regulating-box), having an open top and supported in position to overlap the top of the lime-slaker 25, into which it may be caused to discharge through a valved spout 24. In this box, near one side thereof and protruding'through its bottom and above its top. is a well communicating from near its base, as through pertorations 36, with the interior of the box 33 near the bottom thereof and containing a fioat 37. Thi

pulleysfl. 39 on a superstructure 40 rising trom the box 33, with the free end of a liftpipe 41 vertically movable in the solutionholder 22 and communicating at its opposite end n `ar the base of the holder with an outlet-section 42 terminating in a dischargespout 43 extending, by preference, between two similar spouts 44, 44 forming the discharge tor the hard Water from the base of the wheel-casing 21 and deflected to oppose their mouths in -the same plane withthe spout which discharges between them- Fig. S 'lhe pipe -11 is shown in Fig. 3 to contain a hose-connection 141 with the pipe-section 1Q. to render itfiexible: and -it operates to i'eed the solution to the hard water in the well-known genera-l Way of the lift-pipe of 4float is connected by a chain 38, passing overl Letters Patent No. 708,717, to C. L. Kennieott, dated September 9, 1902, though without, in this instance, proportioning the feed by varying the head over theAlift-piple.

The regulating box is prefera ly surmounted by a relatively small box 45 which, because of its function hereinafter explained, 1 call a dividing-box. Its preferred construction is that shown (Figs. 4 and 5) of a weir comprising av central cirlcular compartment 46 containing diametrically opposite openings 146 and 246 in its walls and leading, respectively, to crescentshaped compartments 47 and 48 covering said openings and communicating with the central compartment. A discharge-pipe 5() depends from the bottom of compartment 47 into the regulating-box and a pipe 51 de-v pends from the bottom of the compartment 48 to"V discharge preferably into the settlingtank. The dividing-box has journaled centrally' in a stepped bearing 147 on the bottom of the central compartment a shaft 247 carrying a handle 347 on its upper end near which it is journaled. in a spider 148 having diametrically opposite upper and lower arms secured at their outer` ends to the inner wall of the compartment 46 and the intermediate arms carry on their outer en'ds an arc-shaped valve 248 adapted to be set by turning the shaft 247 at its handle to par-l tially cover,more or less, the openings 146,l 246 to proportion theml and 'thereby suitably proportion the outflow through one to that through the other. The compartment 46 communicates through a pipe 49 with the smaller outlet-opening 18 in the bottom of the water-box 16.

VVth the apparatus -started in its operation by water liowi'ng through the pipe 14, the holder has been supplied with a charge of proper strength of the solution employed (as lime) in quantity suhcient to last' for a predetermined number of hours. The escape of the water from the box 16 at its outlet 17 drives the wheel 19 to turn the shaft 20 for actuating the stirrer in the holder 22, -which is shown to contain a partition 52 ext-ending radially toward the shaft 24 above the holder-bottom to tend to check excessive undulation of the solution under the action of the stirrer, which would render irregular the outflow of solution into the lift-pipe at the receiving-opening in its free end. That portion of the raw water which escapes from the box 16 through its smaller opening 18 liows through the pipe 4S) into the central compartment of the dividing-box 45, whence a part, suitably proportioned by the adjusted valve 248, runs into the compartment 47 and discharges through the pipe 50 into the regulating box 33 and .the'remainder runs into the compartment 48 and escapes-as surplus through the pipe 5l into the tank 9.

The box 33 holds the required .quantity of water and the box 25 holds the required quantity of slaked lime to form, when their contents are run into the holder 22, a charge for the'latter, and such contents may be so' run, when the holder is emptied as hereinafter described, by raising the plug-valve 28 and opening the shut-0E valve in a pipe 53 (Fig. 3) leading to the holder from an opening 54 (Fig. 2)V in the bottom of the tankA 33. The outflow of the solution through the lift-pipe 41 is properly proportioned to th-e outiow of water at the spouts 44 for treat-ing the raw water, by the amount of water which runs into the regulating box from the opening 18 moving the float 37 to move with it the lift-pipe `41, so that the same amountof chemical solution flows ont of the holder 22 as the amount of water entering` the box 33 from said opening 18; and the relative disposition of these spo'uts impinges the streams from them against each other while the stream of solution from the spout 43 strikes them at a right-angle, thereby mixing the chemical and water to be treated in suspension'in a manner to'efect precipitating tank. AAs the level of liquid in the solution-holder falls under thev out@ flow through the lift-pipe, the accumulation of hard water in the box 33 raises the float 37 in the same ratio to cause the 'same amount of solution to discharge from the box 22 as the predetermined amount of hard water that'iiows into the regulating box. When the solution-holder is emptied an attendant refills it with the contents of the slaker 25 and box 33 preferably by' raising the plug-valve 29 and openingthe valve in the pipe. 34 to run the contents of the regulating box into the solution-holder through the slaker with the advantage of washing out of the latter the full charge of the chemical. Obviously, refilling the solution-holder raises the lift-pipe and lowers the lfloat 37 to their initially normal relative positions to be raised again as the regulating-box lls and the solution-holder empties.

The outlet-opening 18 in the water-box might be suificiently small for properly proportioning to the outflow from the solutionholder the iiow of hard water into the regulating-box 33 through the pipe 49 without the use of any dividing-box, but that opening in an apparatus of small size would then have to be sosmall that `it would clog with impurities from the water; so that to avoid such effect, which would impair the operation of the machine, the opening 18 is made too large to become thus clogged, and the surplus water fed through` it is divided out by the dividing-box 45 which sends only the proper proportion into the box for regulating the supply therein to the requirement for the solution-charge introducedat inten. vals, as described, into the holder 22.

their thorough mixture before they enter the the sleeve.

"Ity is sometime desirable to so automatically regulate the operation of the apparatus thaty it will run either atvt'nll capacity or stop altogether; and this is accomplished through the medium ot' a particular construction of float in the precipitating tank t.) suspended trom the valre l5 in the waterpipe tsl. rl"he occasion for such regulation arises when less softened water is being used out ot' the tank 9 than is beingtrcated in it. so 'that the \\'ater-lc\'el in the latter rises above the overflow 1;). 'l`bc purpose is then to arrest the operation ot' the machine until enough ot the softened water has tlowe'l for use out ot the orcrllow to lower its level to the same, and thereupon start again the operation ot' the machine. rl`o accon'lplish this result a well 55 (Fig. T). open to the intlow ot' water, asalu'ough a series of holes 5() near its upper end. is' stationarily supported in the tn'ecipitatiug tank to depend in its upper end. and it contains a tloat oua rod 58 pirotally suspended ou one end o'tl a bent lever ai) t'ulcruined at tit) near its` opposite end, which is l'iirotally connected with the stein ol. the valve l5. 'ln the bottom ofthe well is an opening "3l having a pigie-connection (Si) with the side oll a Vertical tubular chamber t forming a valve-seat tsl at its open lower end and haring a vertical guide-rupe, (E5 risingfrom its upper ond for the stem (St of a supplemental tloat (3T below the chamber t/ and cairving a closingvalve. or cap (S8 about the Vstem near its junction with the float to tit against the seat (it for closing the chamber. stop Int'. is provided adjiistably on tbe upper end ot.' the. stem-tosustain it against dropping through When the \\aler-lc\'el in the prec ipitatitg tank rises above the overflow' it raises the supplemental float against its scat to close the chamber (33 and thus close the outlet tronrthe well 55. and the level soon rises to till they liquid into the wcll through the holes 56 and raisrl the float to close the valve. l5 and shut otl' the supply ot' water through the pipe. This obriousljY stops the, operation of the machine until the level il. th(` tank Sl falls sufficiently tar to lower the supplemental float (37 and thereby open the chamber G3 to permit. the discharge through it (and against tbe top ot` the supplemental fioat to assist the lowering action ot its own gravity) ot' thecontents ot the well 55 and resultant lowering olf the float' 5T to re-open the valve Vl5 and continue the the machine.

lt will bc understood from the 'foregoing description of the detailed construction and operation ot' the apparat us that. in r improvement` iu its broadest sense` lies in the emplovn'iont of a float-containiug regulating box-lo cooperatiwith suitable means on or `in the solution-holder t'or properly proportioning to the, outflow vfrom the latter thc operation oi:k

'lating flow of water into the regulating-box to cause such water to raise the Hoat in the same ratio and produce the same amount ot solution discharge as the predetcrmined amount of water lat ing box. 1

lVhat. I claim as nc and desire to secure by Letters Patent is* 1. ln a water-softening apparatus, the combination with a precipitating tank, ot a box supported above said tank to receive the water to be treated and provided with a relatively large opening discharging to said tank and a smaller discbarge-opening. a watei'-s:.rppl v pipe discharging into said box, a chentical-solution holderdischarging to said tank and provided withmeans Jfor autonnitically proportioning the supply thereto ot' the solution. a regulating-box for the water for the solution and a box for holding the chemical therefor controllably communicating with said holder, and a water-dividing box communicating with said smaller opening and having dischargeopcnings leading respectively to the regubox and outside the same.

Q. ln a water-softening apparatus, the eombimition with a precipitating tank, of'a casing sui-mounting said tank and provided with a spout discharging thereto, a waterwheel journaled in said casing, a water-bo.\ surmounting said casing and provided with a relatively large disehargeopening and a smaller discharge-opeuing, a water-supply pipe discharging into said box, a chemicalsolution holder discharging to said tank and provided with means for automatically pio portioning the supply thereto ofthe solution, a stirrer in said holder geared to the water` wheel, a regulatingr -box for the water tor the solution and a box for holding the chemical therefor controllably communicating with that flows into the regusaid holder, and a Water-dividing'box com-y municating with said sun-Iller opening and having discharge-openings leading respectively to the regulating box'and outside the same.

f3. In a water-softening. apparatus` the combination with a precipitating tank, otl a box supported above said tankto receive the water to be treated a relatively large opening discharging to lsaid tank and a smaller discharge-opening` a water-snpply pipe discharging into said box, a chemical-sollttion holder discharging to said 'tank and provided with mean.' 'For automat' ally proportioning the lsupply thereto ot the solution, a regulating box t'or the water for the solution and a box for holding the chemical therefor communicating one with the othe' and each having independently ot the other controllable conimu'nication with said holder` and a waterdividing box communicating with said smaller opening and haring discharge openand provided with ings leading respectively to the regulating box and 'outside the same.

Ll. In a Water-softening apparatus, the combination with a precipitating tank, of a box supported above said tank to receive the Waterrto be treated and discharging to said tank, a Water-supply pipe discharging into said box, a chemicalLsolution holder discharging to said tank, regulable proportion of the Water supply, means connected With said holder for proportioning the discharge therefrom with relation to the amount of flow into the last mentioned box, and a float in said last mentionedfbox operatively connected with said proportioning means vfor the purpose set forth.

5. In a Water-softening apparatus, the combination With a precipitating tank, of a box supported above said tank to receive the water to be treated and provided with a relatively large opening discharging to said tank and a smaller discharge-opening, a Water-supply pipe discharging into said box, a chemical-solution holder discharging to said tank, means'connected with said holder for proportioning the discharge therefrom, a regulating-box communicating With said A smaller discharge-opening,'and a fioatin the regulating-box operatively connected With said proportioning-ineans, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a Water-softening apparatus, the combination with a precipitating tank, of a box supported above said tank to receive the Water to be treated and provided with a relatively large opening discharging to said tank and a smaller discharge-opening,

a Water-supply pipe discharging `into said box, a chenncal-solution holder discharging to said tank, means connected with said holder for proportioning the discharge therefrom, a regulating-box, a dividing-box connected with said smaller discharge-opening and discharging to the regulating-box, and a float. in the regulating box operatively connected with said proportioning-means, for the ,purpose set forth.

7. ln a Water-softening apparatus, the combination with a precipitating tank, of a box supported above said tank to receive the Water to be treated and provided with a relatively large opening discharging to said tank and a .smaller discharge-opening, a Water-supply pipe discharging into said box, a chemical-solution holder having a discharge-spout leading to said tank, a liftpipe in said holder connected.with said spout for proportioning the discharge rtherefrom, a. regulating box for the Water for the solution and a box for holding the chemical therefor controllably communicating with said holder, a float-containing Well in and communicating with the regulating box a box receiving a eiasoe and provided With a superstructure equipped With guide-pulleys, a chain connecting said float and lift-pipe over said pulleys, and a Water-dividing box communicating With said smaller opening and having dischargeopenings leading respectively to' the regulating box and outside the same.

8. ln a Water-softening apparatus, the combination With a precipitating tank, of a box supported above said tank to receive the Water to be treated and provided with a relatively large opening discharging to said tank and a smaller discharge-opening, a Water-supply pipe discharging into said box, a chemical-solution holder discharging to said tank and provided With means for automatically proportioning the supply thereto of the solution, a regulating box for the Water'for the solution and a box for holding the chemical therefor controllably communicating with saidholder, and a Waterdividing box supported above the regulating box and comprising a central compartment having openings and communicating` With said smaller opening and side-compartments covering said openings With discharge-outlets leading from artments respectively to the regulating box and outside the same.

9. In a Water-softening apparatus,1the combination With a precipitating tank, of a box supported ,above said tank to' receive the Water to be treated and provided with al relatively large openin and a smaller disc arge-opening, a Watersupply pipe discharging into said box, a chemical-solution holder discharging to said tank and' provided Wit-h means for automatically proportioninfr the supply thereto of the solution, a regulating box for the VWater for the solution and a box for holding the chemical therefor controllably communicating with said holder, and a Water-dividing box supported above the regulating box and comprising a central compartment having openings, a valve for regulating the size df said openings and provided With means for adjusting it, and side-compartments covering said openings and having dischargeoutlets leading respectively to the regulating box and outside the same.

l0. In a Watersoftening aparatus, the combination With a precipitating tank having an overflow, of a pipe for supplying to said tank water to be treated and provided with a valve, a. solution-holder discharging to said tank, and a float-device in the upper part of said tank, comprising a' Well having a lovver outlet and open at its upper portion to fill from said tank, a float in the Well connected with said valve, a chamber having a pipe-connection with said lower outlet and an open lovver endforming a seat, and a supplemental float supported to move relathe side-coindischarging to said tank tive to said seat for opening and closing said chamber to the precipitating tank, for the purpose set forth.

11. In a Watersoftening apparatus, the combination with a precipitating tank having an overflow, of a pipe for supplying to said tank Water to be treated and provided With a valve, a solution-holder discharging to said tank, and a ioat-devioe in the upper part of said tank comprising a Well having a lower outlet and open at its upper portion to fill from said tank, a float in the well having a stein', a lever connecting the float-Stein )Vith the stem of said valve, a Chamber having a pipe-connection with said lower outlet 1 and an open lower end forming a seat,.a guide extending from said chamber, a stein movable in said guide anda supplemental float on the lower end of said guided stein to inove relative to said seat for opening and, 20

closing said chamber to the precipitating" 

